A rural idyll, but also a warzone: a bird's eye view of southern Afghanistan

In this aerial photo taken on Jan. 20, boys play soccer as seen from a medevac helicopter of the U.S. Army's Task Force Shadow flying over Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Kevin Frayer / AP

A shepherd directs his sheep through an opening in a mud wall.

Kevin Frayer / AP

Workers in a traditional brick factory.

Kevin Frayer / AP

A man leads camels across the desert.

Kevin Frayer / AP

A boy stands in a field as he looks up at a medevac helicopter of the U.S. Army's Task Force Shadow.

Kevin Frayer / AP

A NATO military re-supply convoy kicks up dust in the desert.

Over the past seven days, Canadian photographer Kevin Frayer has been flying with a U.S. Army medevac helicopter over Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. His pictures show a series of peaceful pastoral scenes - a shepherd leading his sheep, children playing soccer in a dusty field - but there are occasional hints of the ominous presence of war. In the final shot above, a convoy of NATO vehicles kick up dust as they cross the desert.

Last year, we published a slideshow of Kevin Frayer's portraits of Afghan soldiers.